1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mixer mechanism for an automatic baking machine, more particularly to a mixer mechanism which can effectively mix ingredients that are put within the container of the automatic baking machine so as to be used for baking bread, and which can be easily removed from the bread.
2. Description of the Related Art
The improvement of this invention is directed to a conventional mixer mechanism which is installed in an automatic baking machine 1, as shown in FIG. 1. The automatic baking machine 1 includes an oven 2 and a container 3 which is disposed within the oven 2 so as to receive ingredients that are used for baking bread therein. The oven 2 includes a motor 4 and a heating device 5 which is capable of heating the container 3 so as to bake bread. The mixer mechanism is journalled on the bottom wall of the container 3, is driven by the motor 4 so as to mix the ingredients within the container 3, and includes a beater assembly 6, a shaft assembly 7, and a driving device 8. The driving device 8 includes a rod member 81 which is adapted to be rotated by the motor 4 in such a manner that the lower end portion of the rod member 81 is secured coaxially to a rotary wheel 9 which is connected to the motor 4 by means of a belt 91. Accordingly, the rod member 81 can be rotated synchronously with the rotary wheel 9 by the motor 4.
Referring to FIG. 2, the driving device 8 further includes a horizontal driving plate member 82 which is mounted securely on the top end of the rod member 81 and which has a pair of upright driving plates 821 that are mounted securely on two opposite end portions of the driving plate member 82.
The shaft assembly 7 includes a shaft member 71 which is journalled on the bottom wall of the container 3 (see FIG. 1) and a horizontal driven plate member 72 which is mounted securely on the bottom end of the shaft member 71. The driven plate member 72 is mounted removably on the driving plate member 82, and has a pair of upright driven plate units 721 which are secured respectively to two opposite end portions of the driven plate member 72 and which abut respectively against the driving plates 821 of the driving plate member 82, as shown in FIG. 3, so that the shaft assembly 7 can rotate synchronously with the rod member 81. The rod member 81 rotates only in a clockwise direction. Again, referring to FIG. 2, the shaft member 71 has a positioning rod 711 of a generally semicircular cross section which is mounted securely on the top end of the shaft member 71 and which has an upright wall 712. The beater assembly 6 includes a sleeve member 61 which is sleeved removably on the positioning rod 711 and which can be rotated synchronously with the shaft member 71, and a horizontal blade beater 62 which is mounted securely on the outer wall of the sleeve member 61 and which is spaced apart from the bottom wall of the container 3, as shown in FIG. 1, at a distance of 2-3 mm so as to mix the ingredients within the container 3 when the mixer mechanism is in use.
The drawbacks of the conventional mixer mechanism are as follows:
1. When the mixer mechanism is in use, the sleeve member 61 of the beater assembly 6 is easily removed from the positioning rod 711 of the shaft member 71 of the shaft assembly 7. Accordingly, the ingredients within the container 3 cannot be mixed effectively when baking bread. PA1 2. Even though bread can be successfully baked within the container 3, it is difficult to remove the bread from the beater assembly 6 because the bread may attach to the beater assembly 6 when the former is taken away from the container 3. Accordingly, some special tools have to be used to remove the bread from the beater assembly 6 in order to avoid damage thereto. This can result in some inconvenience for a baker.